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Laurinaitis vs. Grant (Starting LB Discussion)

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7 45 33 48 said:
We already went back and forth on this. It is a better chance then what you think. I noticed a few people on another messageboard today and this messageboard last week had the same thought about Grant at SLB. A 5 star JUCO coming in at probably the SLB position, I wouldn't say it is no way he beats out Laurinaitis.
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Did you read what osugrad21 had to say about Grant's tackling? Grant will need to work on tackling lower in order to play effectively in the Big Ten. Keep in mind that being a 5-star at JUCO doesn't equate to having two full games experience at SLB against Michigan and Notre Dame, along with a full year in our defensive scheme. Grant has incredible potential, but right now that's all it is--potential.
 
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MililaniBuckeye said:
No way he beats out Laurinaitis...no way.
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What is it with you and this guy? Further, how can you mock me for predicting the future and make a statement like this?

You're trying to tell us that a 5-star JUCO linebacker with superior measureables has no chance of beating out a guy who had two spot-starts as a freshman? Considering we played a ton of nickel in both games, he really didn't even play that much. I'm not sure I'd count that as two full games of experience. When he was out there, he made 1 tackle. That doesn't mean he was playing poorly, but he clearly wasn't showing up on a regular basis, either. In my mind, he's as untested as Grant. I like Animal, Jr., but to say that Grant, an absolute physical stud and the #1-rated JUCO LB in the country, can't beat out Laurinaitis? I know, I know, he replaced Bobby Carpenter, which means he's just as good, right?
 
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EdDantes22 I agree 100 percent

Now Right now obviously its Laurintius job for the short future. However, both boys will come out and play their butts off in the spring/summer and all the way to next fall. Personally I think Grant will get alot of playing time (I don't know about start) because Mili is correct in saying that Animal Jr. will get a lot of reps early because he knows the system clearly a lot better than Grant. On the flip side though what do you do with a kid thats 230 pounds and runs the way he does and not to mention he's got the build (6'3") to really put some pounds on here. I really don't care who starts just as long as they just to their jobs and represent our University well. Seriously though I can't help but think of Grants Speed. So I believe Animal Jr. will most likely start the year but maybe Grant takes over.. That is a Maybe though, it just depends on how Animal Jr. plays and how Grant does in the early going of his OSU career
 
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How about both sides of this petty fight let it go, and let's see who the coaches deem starters at the start of the season. Point is NOBODY on this board knows who will and won't start. :horse:

BACK TO GRANT....congrats Mr. Grant, you made an awesome choice!
 
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HotMic said:
How about both sides of this petty fight let it go, and let's see who the coaches deem starters at the start of the season. Point is NOBODY on this board knows who will and won't start. :horse:

BACK TO GRANT....congrats Mr. Grant, you made an awesome choice!
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Uh, that's exactly what I'm saying. I'm not saying Grant will start for sure, but you're pretty close-minded if you think Lauranaitis has already "earned" a starting spot based on two very incomplete, emergency performances.
 
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EdDantes22 said:
What is it with you and this guy? Further, how can you mock me for predicting the future and make a statement like this?

You're trying to tell us that a 5-star JUCO linebacker with superior measureables has no chance of beating out a guy who had two spot-starts as a freshman? Considering we played a ton of nickel in both games, he really didn't even play that much. I'm not sure I'd count that as two full games of experience. When he was out there, he made 1 tackle. That doesn't mean he was playing poorly, but he clearly wasn't showing up on a regular basis, either. In my mind, he's as untested as Grant. I like Animal, Jr., but to say that Grant, an absolute physical stud and the #1-rated JUCO LB in the country, can't beat out Laurinaitis? I know, I know, he replaced Bobby Carpenter, which means he's just as good, right?
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I tracked the first half on the Fiesta Bowl a couple nights ago (was going to post this eventually, but now is as good a time as any). My notes are at home, but I do recall him being in every fourth play or so throughout the first half, mainly because of nickle coverage. They ran a play towards Laurinaitis one time while he was in--one time. Did you notice how Danielson harped at the beginning of the game that pro coaches like Weis will attack a weakness until you fix it? Well, if Weis obviously didn't think Laurinaitis was a weakness because he hever went after him...and after the way our defense was all over the place, Weis would've exploited even the slightest weakness available. If you think that Laurinaitis is "untested" as Grant, then you deserve every ounce of ridicule that you get. Many of you are sounding exactly like many did before D'Andrea set foot on campus, and D'Andrea didn't have a noted weakness in tackling technique either. I'm not slamming Grant and few on this board are happier than I am to get him, but I'm not going to annoint him our next starting SLB simply because of simple measureables and JUCO start ratings.

By the way, other than straight-ahead speed, Laurinaitis' measureables aren't much different than Grants:

Laurinaitis: 6'3", 235, 4.6
Grant: 6'3", 225, 4.4

No "fascination" with the kid, but rather saying that he has earned the right to be considered the clear favorite to start at SLB.
 
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I don't think anybody is annoting this guy as a starter...I think people are just saying that it is possible...and it just adds depth if nothing else. Plus more competiton. That's all. I haven't seen anybody say that HE WILL be the starter. All I've seen is people say HE WON'T be. I don't think you can know that.

So many good LBs...thank God for Tressel and knowing how to recruit a need. Look at our class? All needs filled. Amazing! What an amazing addition to an already stellar class. May not be #1 on scout or rivals, but damn...I don't know of any other school in the country who recruited as well based on need.
 
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MililaniBuckeye said:
I tracked the first half on the Fiesta Bowl a couple nights ago (was going to post this eventually, but now is as good a time as any). My notes are at home, but I do recall him being in every fourth play or so throughout the first half, mainly because of nickle coverage. They ran a play towards Laurinaitis one time while he was in--one time. Did you notice how Danielson harped at the beginning of the game that pro coaches like Weis will attack a weakness until you fix it? Well, if Weis obviously didn't think Laurinaitis was a weakness because he hever went after him...and after the way our defense was all over the place, Weis would've exploited even the slightest weakness available. If you think that Laurinaitis is "untested" as Grant, then you deserve every ounce of ridicule that you get. Many of you are sounding exactly like many did before D'Andrea set foot on campus, and D'Andrea didn't have a noted weakness in tackling technique either. I'm not slamming Grant and few on this board are happier than I am to get him, but I'm not going to annoint him our next starting SLB simply because of simple measureables and JUCO start ratings.

By the way, other than straight-ahead speed, Laurinaitis' measureables aren't much different than Grants:

Laurinaitis: 6'3", 235, 4.6
Grant: 6'3", 225, 4.4

No "fascination" with the kid, but rather saying that he has earned the right to be considered the clear favorite to start at SLB.
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No one's telling you to anoint anyone. That's the point. Also, I don't like your argument about Weis not attacking Lauranaitis. Why, if Weis was trying to attack the weakest player on the field, wouldn't he have attacked Lauranaitis? There was absolutely no reason to think, as untested as he certainly was at that point, that he was anything other than the weakest defensive player on the field for tOSU. Did Weis sneak in and scout him in practice? He clearly knew nothing about the kid, so to say he avoided attacking him because he didn't think of him as a weakness is kind of warped logic.

I don't want you to anoint Grant as the starter. I am merely suggesting that this is an absolutely wide open race and that, just like he earned his spot on the two-deep last year, Lauranaitis will have to earn a starting spot this year. Calling him the clear cut favorite at this point is an exaggeration at best.

And not that it's all that matters, but I'd call running the 40 two tenths of a second faster is a significant advantage in "measurables." 4.6 is a good deal slower than Hawk and also slower than Carpenter, who was bigger than Animal, Jr. and played a lot off the end.
 
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EdDantes22 said:
What is it with you and this guy? Further, how can you mock me for predicting the future and make a statement like this?

You're trying to tell us that a 5-star JUCO linebacker with superior measureables has no chance of beating out a guy who had two spot-starts as a freshman? Considering we played a ton of nickel in both games, he really didn't even play that much. I'm not sure I'd count that as two full games of experience. When he was out there, he made 1 tackle. That doesn't mean he was playing poorly, but he clearly wasn't showing up on a regular basis, either. In my mind, he's as untested as Grant. I like Animal, Jr., but to say that Grant, an absolute physical stud and the #1-rated JUCO LB in the country, can't beat out Laurinaitis? I know, I know, he replaced Bobby Carpenter, which means he's just as good, right?
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Great post. Basically sum up all my thoughts. I never said it was written in stone that Grant was going to start at SLB. Grant's tackling may be suspect, he still has 8 months to work with this staff. It is not like Laurenitais was making many tackles when he was in there. Saying no way he beats out Laurenitais is way different then what I was saying.
 
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